Nyssa's color drained. "What... What did I do?"
"Not what you did," Lovi said, his thick accent coming through. "What she here for." He turned and pointed his staff towards the ocean. Nyssa followed his point, and she was suddenly glad for the couch she was sitting on.
The black phoenix was sitting at the end of the jetty.
"What..." Nyssa stood and brushed past Nadir to lean out over the banister. "What's she doing here?"
Lovi laughed again and held out his arm. "We find out together."
Nadir was staring wide-eyed at the beast when Nyssa turned, and when she caught his gaze, his weight shifted.
"How is she here?" Nadir asked.
"Venari King think he smart," Lovi said. "We find out what she want with her freedom."
Nadir came to stand by her side as Lovi caught her arm. But Nadir grabbed her hand before they could leave and gave it a squeeze. Nyssa looked back at Nadir when Lovi began leading her down the steps, hoping Nadir saw her silent plea for him to go with her, their fingers still hanging on to the other.
He nodded and started to follow behind, but Lovi slapped his cane across Nadir's chest. Nadir grunted at the abruptness of it, the wind knocking out of him.
"Stay," Lovi said. "Princess handle this."
"I can't hear her," Nyssa said fast.
"You no need hear creatures to speak with Mother Sun." Lovi's hand clapped on top of hers, and Nyssa had no choice but to follow beside him down the steps.
People had begun to gather around, obviously all confused as to why the black phoenix was not only free but also sitting at the end of one of their jetties as though it were perfectly normal.
Nyssa tried to push the people’s voices out and focus on her feet as she and Lovi made down the rocky walk.
The shadows of the phoenix's fire pulled back into her great body upon their approach. Lovi, for whatever reason, was still grinning as he clapped his hand on top of Nyssa's. Nyssa was sure the man was utterly mental, and that was something she was also confident that everyone in that village would at least agree with.
A shudder ran down Nyssa's spine when she locked eyes with the beast. The Sun’s great amber eyes stared back, a color so like her own.
But Lovi's chortle sounded beside her, and they paused a few rocks away.
"You free to your tricks, I see," Lovi laughed. He stepped up to her and gave the bird a pet on the beak as though he were greeting an old friend. "My father will look for his way out next," he said.
The Sun looked past Lovi, and her gaze landed once more on Nyssa.
Little Nyssari, the Sun said, her neck bowing again.
Nyssa wasn't sure what to do. Bow? Curtsy? Fall to her knees?
She chose a short bow, though it didn't seem like enough in the presence of the Sun herself. She swore the beast smiled at her.
Except now, she wasn't sure what to call her.
A laugh echoed in her mind, and Nyssa realized perhaps the Sun could hear her thoughts, for she said,Sun will do, to her.
Nyssa nodded. "Hello, Sun," she said aloud.
You wonder why I am here.
"Have I done something wrong?"
The Sun laughed.No. I wanted to see you. I have a small job for you.
Nyssa tried not to think about how reluctant she was to take on another job besides fulfilling her promises and saving Haerland from Man.
